‘India’s Strategic Neutrality Safeguards Our Interests In War Situations’
Abhay Singh, an ICSSR Doctoral Fellow in Banaras Hindu University, says India’s multi-alignment foreign policy insulates it from global crises. His views:
In recent years, India has emphasized strengthening its relations with countries around the world and multilateral engagement. Furthermore, India has demonstrated its strategic neutrality in various conflicts between other countries, neither openly supporting nor openly condemning any side. This is the reason that through its foreign policy, even in various conflicts in the world, India has ensured the safe evacuation of its citizens and protected its national interests by fulfilling the needs of civil security and energy without any pressure.
In the current geopolitical landscape—particularly amidst the on-going conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States in West Asia and the Gulf region—India has steadfastly maintained its strategic neutrality, prioritizing its national interests above all else. India has adopted a balanced and cautious diplomatic stance regarding this conflict. India has refrained from openly supporting any specific side; instead, it has emphasized dialogue, restraint, and diplomatic resolution. This approach reflects the core tenet of India’s foreign policy: Strategic Autonomy.
Currently, India has placed particular emphasis on safeguarding the security of Indians residing in West Asia—specifically in the Gulf nations—as well as on securing the country’s energy requirements.
Throughout this conflict, India has accorded top priority to the safety of the large Indian population residing in countries such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman—a demography consisting predominantly of migrant workers.
It was for this very reason that, following the retaliatory bombardment of these nations by Iran in response to US attacks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself personally engaged with the heads of state of all these Gulf countries to ensure, first and foremost, the safety of the Indians living there. India initiated dialogue with Iran on other levels only after ensuring the safety of Indians residing in these countries and the safe repatriation of those returning from there.
India sources a significant portion of its energy requirements from various countries in West Asia. A major share of global oil trade passes through the Strait of Hormuz, making it of paramount importance to India. In addition to crude oil, India imports 60 per cent of its LPG requirements—90 per cent of which traverses this very Strait of Hormuz.
Consequently, the security of energy supplies and maritime trade routes constitutes a key priority for India. This is precisely why India has maintained engagement with Iran at various levels; even amidst the on-going conflict—during which numerous incidents have unfolded in the Strait of Hormuz—India has successfully leveraged its diplomatic channels to ensure the safety of vessels transporting energy supplies to the country.
This conflict constitutes a major test for India’s diplomacy—a realm in which India has historically managed its relations with Iran, Israel, and the Arab nations distinctively, operating on multiple levels simultaneously. In this critically important region, India positions itself as a responsible power committed to fostering regional stability and peace.
It is for this reason that, in the context of the Iran–US–Israel conflict, India has adopted a balanced and pragmatic approach; while scrupulously avoiding complete alignment with any single party, it has prioritized dialogue and diplomatic solutions.
Consequently, at a time when other nations across the globe appear to be grappling with the various global repercussions stemming from this conflict, India is proving successful in its diplomatic endeavours by steadfastly safeguarding its national interests—a success exemplified by the safe evacuation of Indian vessels from Iran and the continued safety of Indian nationals residing in the Gulf nations.
(The narrator is pursuing his research on ‘Narratives of Strategic Autonomy – A qualitative study of India’s foreign policy Discourse towards United States’)
As told to Rajat Rai
